MySpace.com

MySpace.com is another website that is helpful for artists to be heard. Because it is a social website, like Facebook.com, it is easy for those who have their own page to be introduced to not only new friends, but new music. I joined the website myself because Facebook.com had not evolved as it has today and I had some family and friends who used it instead. I soon learned that many of the friend requests I received were from musicians. Most I had never heard of before so they take the risk of people taking the time to listen but most requests come with a message like "let us know what you think of us and hopefully you can make it to a show near you." Being intrigued I usually take the time to check them out and if I like them I see where their shows are.. I think it is such a great way for bands to get their name out there and have their songs heard.
Because not everyone is on MySpace, Facebook has also come up with a similar "page" for bands to create to boost their image and fan base but I do not find is as effective. Attending shows of local bands here in Tuscaloosa many can find a poster with the band's MySpace page displayed. It gives their listeners a chance to find out more about them, listen to more of their songs, and see where they are playing next. I have a few friends in a local band and in talking to them I know that the website has had a very positive effect for them. They are becoming more well known and now have gigs outside of Tuscaloosa. It is not only a way to boost their fan base but an amazing networking opportunity.
On most pages you can see who others are friends with and most bands stick with other bands within a similar genre. On every page their is a specific title of what kind of music to expect.. there are so many ways to search for bands and come across new ones simply with a request. MySpace.com is great for musicians who want to be discovered so I also hope to get future bands connected through this website!

Pandora.com - internet radio

"On January 6, 2000 a group of musicians and music-loving technologists came together with the idea of creating the most comprehensive analysis of music ever" (pandora.com). The Music Genome Project "set out to capture the essence of music at the most fundamental level by assembling literally hundreds of musical attributes or "genes" into a very large Music Genome" (pandora.com). These genes give a song a certain musical identity looking at everything from melody to lyrics.. considering everything about the song, not necessarily the band's image or typical genre.
I discovered this website through a friend this past summer while we were interning together. It is a free internet radio that helped us pass the time and kept us entertained. By entering in an artist's name or specifec song that you like the website takes that and makes an entire radio station with other songs that contain similar "genes." In hearing familiar songs I was happy to have been introduced to this website but what really intrigued me was the fact that I was discovering new songs and bands that I may not had heard of before. Because the Music Genome Project took the time to take a deeper look into every aspect of a song I have been exposed to so much more than what I was originally expexting.
I feel that it is websites like this that help bands to be heard and I hope to learn how to later be able to contact groups like the Music Genome Project to help an upcoming group get discovered.

Advertising, Public Relations, and Music

Advertising can be broken down into specific components and is often related to public relations. Within an agency advertising has main areas of concern: media planning, creative, co-op and billing. Each of these areas maintains a certain degree of importance for the agency as a whole and without one, the entire operation could fail. Being interested mainly in the creative aspect of advertising I find myself drawn to graphic design. In that passion shares a desire for incorporating music into my future career. Because music promotions is often related to public relations, it is important to become knowledgeable in all areas of study correlated with these subjects. Having taken many "APR" (Advertisng and Public Relations) classes at the University of Alabama I have touched on the basics for obtaining credibility. I have an older sister who graduated with a degree in public relations from the University of Alabama last December who is currently employed in Los Angeles, CA with Jeneration PR. She has recently touched on becoming involved with promoting some smaller, unknown muscial talent on well-known websites (ex). PerezHilton.com and local magazines so she can give me some tips on what she is learning and help me get a head start with a step in the right direction. Music is, and always has been, a huge part of my family. Both my mother and father performed in their college years and my mom continues to partake in variety shows in our community and also entertain our family at reunions. The large family reunions are for my father's side of the family but everyone collaborates a big show for the main reception closing out the weekend. Many of my cousins play musical instruments and are members of bands around the world (from Ireland to Illinois to California). I have been blessed to grow up with such a musically talented family and although I may not share the gene I admire it and have become their biggest fan.

Because I realized early that I was not so gifted in the music department I found strengths in other areas of my adolesence. Keeping myself busy with school, gymnastics, and later cheerleading, I did not have much time for social activities and going to concerts. The few I attended were mostly free box tickets from my father's company or some crazy boy band when I was a teenager. It really was not until college that I began to realize my mother's favorite quote: "Music is well said to be the speech of angels." I grew up with this quote in my face every morning... She had an old book of her song lyrics from college that was one of the few things that survived a fire some years later in Colorado (where she met my father :) ) This quote seemed inspirational for her as a musician and in my path to figuring out what this meant for me I have fallen in love with listening to music.. finding out the lyrics meaning, dancing to the beat, relating all of it to my life and quoting artists that "really get me." There are so many different genres that are evolving and unique artists rising that want people to hear what they have to say.. I would love to be the person that helps them to say it. In helping them get their message out into the media and be heard by many I would feel fulfilled!